Red Funnel boss apologises for 'unacceptable' service after Red Jet suspended

Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely has told Red Funnel the service simply isn't good enough. Credit: Red Funnel

The CEO of Red Funnel Ferries has apologised for the disruption and delays this weekend which brought misery to hundreds of people travelling between Southampton and the Isle of Wight

Red Jet suspended its high speed passenger service on Saturday because of technical problems.

An issue with a fuel leak on Red Eagle meant the car ferry was also out of commission for a time, causing major delays and crowded crossings because of the backlog.

Responding to a post on X, Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely said Red Funnel CEO Fran Collins should “either run a bloody service or get somebody else to do so”.

Today Fran Collins responded, apologising and reaffirming his commitment to restoring a reliable service.

In a statement he said: “I wish to apologise on behalf of everyone at Red Funnel for the disruption experienced by many of our customers travelling between Southampton and the Isle of Wight yesterday.

"We know that this level of service is not acceptable to the island, and nor is it aligned with our own standards.

"Our teams worked tirelessly to rectify the issues and support passengers, and we continue to focus on restoring the Red Jet service as soon as possible.

Those travelling between Southampton and the Isle of Wight on Sunday will have to use the slower Vehicle Ferry Service into East Cowes.

The company said a problem had been found in Red Jet 7's propulsion system, adding that its technical team was working to resolve the issue.

Red Jet will be offering a replacement service from Monday, which will take 50 minutes rather than the Red Jet's 28 minutes crossing.

“Mr Collins said: "Affected passengers may be eligible for compensation, which can be claimed by completing the form on our website or by phoning our contact centre (023 8001 9192).

“In addition, we will be contacting passengers who were pre-booked on the affected vehicle ferry sailings to offer a voucher in recognition of the disruption to their travel.

“Looking forward, I am pleased to say that the vehicle ferry service is running to its timetabled schedule with 12 scheduled daily crossings today and into next week.

“Our Red Jet service remains suspended for the time being. An alternative service has been put on for Monday 18th March, with an extended crossing time of 50 minutes. The timetable will run as follows.

Dept Southampton: 0700 / 0900 / 1100 / 1500 / 1700 / 1900Dept West Cowes: 0600 / 0800 / 1000 / 1400 / 1600 / 1800

“Hovertravel and Hoverbus will be accepting Red Funnel tickets from today and tomorrow (18th March) for its service between Ryde and Southsea in Portsmouth, until our Red Jet service is once again operational.